Quick connect self-sealing coupling



Decu 28, 1948. B. A. MAIN, .JRA 2,457,251

QUICK CONNECT ySELF'-SLIJIIIk-. COUPLNG Filed March 28, 1945 Mmm/v A. MAN/v Jfr.

enema Dec. 2s, 194s QUEUE CNNECT SELF-EAHIHNG CUPLHNG Benjamin A. Main, lr., `Wachsen, Mich., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Aeroquip Corporation, .iaclrsom Mich., a corporation oli Michigan Application Marcin 28, i945, Serial No. 585,307

l Claim. i The present invention relates to improvements in self-sealing couplings of the type disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,208,286 granted to` rangement of parts will more clearly appear from a consideration of the following detailed description and the appertured claim.

Referring to the drawings, in which several different embodiments of the invention are illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the coupling parts in assembled or connected position,

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the coupling shown in Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig, 2 showing the A parts in disconnected position.

The self-sealing coupling unit shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings comprises separable parts l2 and it and a quick connect coupling sleeve IB having a bayonet lock type of slot i8 for quick attachment and detachment with the pin 20 located in the part l2. The part I6 has a flange 22 against which the ange end 24 of the coupling sleeve It abuts at the time of engagement.

The part lil is shown as having an integral tubular portion 2t which terminates in a valve head 28 in which is provided radial ports 30. The head 2d is slightly larger in diameter than the tubular portion 2t to present a flange 32 functioning as a stop for the flange 3d in the sleeve 36 which telescopes with the head 28. An annular shoulder 38 on the sleeve 36 functions as a seat for the compression spring it with the outer face t2 abutting with the face it of the part l2 providing an outer seal for the parts in assembled position, as shown in Fig. 2,

Spaced upon opposite sides of the radial ports @il are annular Igrooves t6 and i8 carrying sealing rings 5U and 52. The part i2 is of tubular construction with a smaller diameter at the cylindrical portion 5I at the forward end adjacent the face lid. Slidably received within the cylindrical portion 5l is part 53, carrying an annular groove tt in which is received the sealing ring (Ui. 23d- 19) 56. The portion 5t constitutes a pilot for the compression spring G which at one end reaches against a snap ring t2 located in a groove tt. A conical iiange 5S is provided on the valve part 53 to abut the conical wall 68 and to act as a stop resisting the thrust of the spring t0. Preferably the threaded cylindrical portion .10 of the part i2 is of slightly greater inside diameter than the diameter of the flange t6, thus enabling the part t@ to be assembled by insertion through the cylindrical portion lt.

The engaging faces i2 and it are shown as being of iiat construction, but it will be understood thatY they may be of any complementary conguration and of such a design that when en gaged with one another substantially all fluid between the same is displaced. The general principles of operation of the present invention are the same as those of the self-sealing coupling disclosed in the aforesaid patent. Only the speciiic details of construction are different.

With the coupling parts disconnected, as shown in Fig. 3, the sealing ring 5t will provide an effective seal between the valve part 53 and the cylindrical wall 5i. In a similar manner the sealing rings 5t and 52 eiectively seal the radial ports 30 in engagement with the inner wall of the sleeve 3B on both sides of the ports 30. It will be understood that extremely close tolerances need not be maintained between the telescoping parts yet an effective seal is provided by the sealing rings 50, 52 and 56 which project slightly beyond the annular grooves in which they are located and are held in intimate sealing engagement with the surfaces through fluid pressure. It will be further noted that the arrangement of these sealing rings is such that none of them is required to traverse any of the uid ports of the coupling structure.

To assemble or connect the parts I2 and it together, with the slot i8 in axial alignment with the pin 2t, the parts are forced together, bringing the-faces i2 and Mi into abutting engagement. Axial opposed pressure against these faces overcomes the tension of the spring it, compressing the same and displacing the sleeve 3B in the manner shown in Fig, 2. When the sleeve 36 has been sufficiently displaced, rotation between the sleeve itfand part l2 will position the pin 20 in the locking portion i6 of the groove i8, all in a well-known manner. When this has taken place it will be noted from Fig. 2 that the head 28 has been projected a suiiicient distance into the enlarged chamber 18. to permit the flow of uid through the connected coupling passing through the port 30 and into the chamber 18. With the coupling connected, as shown in Fig. 2, the sealing ring 50 has a transverse sealing engagement between the sleeve 36 and the cylindrical portion 5i of the part i2. It will also be noted that the sealing rings 52 and 56 have no function to perform when the parts i2 'and I4 are in their coupled position.

The sliding fit between the inside of the sleeve I6 and the outer cylindrical portion 80 of the coupling part I2 provides axial alignment for the telescoped valve parts.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the herein described construction can be manufactured without maintaining exceedingly close tolerances. Another advantage residing in the present invention which will be readily appreciated is found in the quick connection and disconnection feature made possible by the bayonet-like slot and pin arrangement to enable these parts to be coupled or uncoupled by rotating the sleeve i6 a fractional turn relative to the part l2.

Having thus describedmy invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim is:

A self-sealing coupling of the kind consisting of two tubular body parts of which one comprises an interior co-axial tubular stem closed at the coupling end and dening an annular space between itself and its tubular body part, said tubular stem having fluid-now ports in its hollow wall portion adjacent said closed end and said ports being closable by a sleeve slidable upon said tubular stem and within said annular space, whereas the other tubular body part has an end opening of a diameter approximating the interior diameter of said sleeve and closable by an axially movable valve member which, when the two body parts are coupled together, is displaced inwardly by contact with the closed end of said stem at the same time as the said sleeve is pushed back along the stem to open said ports due to the endwise pressure exerted against the sleeve by the second said tubular body part characterized in that the said axially movable valve member has a circumferential groove around its outer periphery containing a fluid sealing ring i or maintaining a uld tight seal with the said end opening, when this valve member is closed, and that the said tubular stem also has external circumferential grooves on opposite sides of said iluid-ilow ports and containing fluid sealing rings. said sleeve having an inwardly directed shoulder, at the end thereof remote from the closed end of the stem, engageable with a shoulder on the stem to limit the outward axial movement oi the sleeve to close said iluid-flow ports and the one sealing ring on the said stem, on the side of the said iluid-flow ports remote from the closed end of the stem, serving, when the sleeve is displaced inwardly by the said second body part, to maintain a fluid seal between the stem and the said end opening in said second body part.

BENJAMIN A. MAIN, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of -this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,679,257 Neebe July 3l, 1928 1,710,635 Wertz Apr. 23, 1929 2,185,173 Fortune Jan. 2, 1940 2,208,620 Baisch July 23, 1940 2,210,282 Corbin Aug. 6, 1940 2,254,997 Fisher Sept. 2, 1941 2,304,390 Wolfram Dec. 8, 1942 2,311,239 Main et al. Feb. 16, 1943 2,391,022 Main Dec. 18, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 505,681 Great Britain May 16, 1929 

